


On The Practicality Of Flowers

by SecondStarfall (beantiger)



Series: The Second Starfall Stories [16]
Category: Original Work
Genre: "Valériane Is Short" Jokes Squad, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Crushes, Cute, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Fantasy, Flash Fic, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff and Humor, Lesbian Character, Medieval, Microfic, Mutual Pining, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22219843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beantiger/pseuds/SecondStarfall
Summary: "Hm. I charm you?""Er. Yes. Of course. Why?"***The royal botanist makes a flower crown.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: The Second Starfall Stories [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582975
Kudos: 12





	On The Practicality Of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> This is a version of the original Twitterfic, same title, posted over at my now-deactivated personal account in January 2020. It has been given minor edits for consistency with other stories and readability on AO3. ❤️ 
> 
> **SUGGESTED RE-READING:** Any of the Marlesse and Valériane stories, like ["The Botanist's Most Important Failure."](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21990349) This one takes place way before that, but after ["Night-Blooms and Gargoyles,"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22219624) where they first meet. They're only friends here. Just gals being pals.
> 
> Yes, these stories bounce around a lot. I apologize! Check the timeline below for a better approximation of these tales.
> 
> ✨ [[see the full SecStar timeline](https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline) | [check out the SecStar wiki](https://secondstarfall.com/)] ✨

In her tower, the botanist Valériane de la Rue eyed the chief guard up and down, one hand on her chin.

"I know," said Marlesse, "it's ridiculous, isn't it, this whole outfit?" 

(She wore the full regalia of the head of the royal guard. There was some function or another that night.)

"No," Valériane said. "It's just missing something. Spin?"

Marlesse shot her a pitiful look in jest and did so.

"Figure out what's missing?" 

"What? Oh, no. I just wanted to see you spin."

"If you weren't three feet tall, I swear..."

"It's like watching a bear dance."

They fell into childlike giggles, and then Valériane turned to work at her desk. 

"One moment," the botanist said. She was pulling newly-picked flowers from her drying rack. "I'm completely ashamed I know how to do this, but..."

When she whirled around, she had a flower crown in her hands: lavender and verbena, and a single rose as the jeweled centerpiece. 

Said Valériane, "I am exactly five feet tall, by the way."

"I don't think that's regulation," said Marlesse, pursing her lips in a clear attempt not to grin. "The flower crown—not your height disadvantage."

"Please! Nothing about Sandrine's reign is 'regulation.' Bend." 

The chief guard did, but (erupting into laughter again) only a little. Valériane retrieved a step-ladder and plopped the crown on her head.

"There, you grizzly," said the botanist. "You better hope I never have a late growth spurt—anyway, now you look right." 

"I'll take your word for it. Why were you ashamed to make it?"

With Valériane on the ladder, they stood eye-to-eye.

"Well—you know. Beautiful things are not necessarily useful things. I have zero interest in the beautiful. I used to love flowers for what they were, but..." 

"Hm. I think I understand," said the guard. "I never thought of myself as beautiful—but it never mattered." She tapped her head. "I only ever cared about what was in here. Though that was lacking, too, in the end, if you ask my mother. Ha!"

"We'll have to talk with her."

The seriousness in her tone pierced Marlesse's heart to the core.

But...

It was not an unpleasant feeling.

"Anyway," said Valériane, putting away the ladder, "you look very good, and I'm sure you'll charm the whole castle with conversation, as you charm me." 

"Hm. I charm you?"

"Er. Yes. Of course. Why?"

The air smelled of earth and dew. Of Valériane.

"You look good too," the guard replied. "Always."

Valériane's cheeks pinkened. 

"I, er, have work to do," said the botanist, pulling down her cowl.

Neither, history tells us, concentrated much that evening.

**Author's Note:**

> (Later, much later, when Valériane and Marlesse recounted this story to Alexandrine over coffee, the queen was reported as saying: "Five feet tall? Val. That's rather generous.")
> 
> Leave a comment or a kudos or whatever the heck if this tickled your fancy. There shall be more! ❤️ Also, please let me know what other characters, relationships, or places you'd like to hear about. I have lots of ideas, but I'd enjoy writing a few stories for y'all as well.
> 
> ✨ [[see the full SecStar timeline](https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline) | [check out the SecStar wiki](https://secondstarfall.com/)] ✨
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY:** Dorks! In! Love! Dorks! In! Love!
> 
> I hesitate to give a height on Val, instead deferring to "always much shorter than you are." She's a little mythical that way. I will say she's no taller than the aforementioned five feet or so, and since Mar is about ~6'5"-6'7"ish, we have a hilarious and adorable size difference going on. 
> 
> One reason Alexandrine gave them her blessing is because Val throws tantrums, and Mar could easily put her in her pocket or something to remove her from a room, if need be. Pocket GF! (I'm only half joking here.)


End file.
